Improvement in signal-lights



G. D. OATMAN. Signal-Light.

No. 222,303. Patented Dec. 2,1879.

INVENTOR'. fla a l gqw UN TED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES DEOA'TMAN, or PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN SIGNAL-LIGHTS.

Specificaiionforming part of Letters Patent No. 222.303, dated December 2, 1879 application filed August 1, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. OATMAN, of the city and county of Providence, andState of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Art of Telegraphing; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the partly in solid and partly in broken lines, the

movable tube, and the connection with the key in solid lines.

The object of this invention is to produce a telegraphic signal-lamp by means of which messages can be transmitted at night by flashes of light of longer or shorter duration, with longer or shorter intervals, so as to produce flashes of light which will correspond to the dots, dashes, and spaces of the Morse sys-' tem of telegraphy, and thereby enable telegrams to be transmitted by flashes of light instead of by sound, as in the ordinary Morse system.

The invention consists in providing a lamp with a tube which surrounds the light, in which tube a slit or aperture is made, and over which another tube slides, so that it can be operated with a key or lever, so as to cover or expose the light, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the drawings, A is a suitable frame or box, within which the lamp B is placed, the flame of which is surrounded by the reflector O. D is a tube, the inside and outside of which are plated with some white metal, so as to act as a reflector of light. An opening or slit is left for light to shine through. E is a tube, which is raised and lowered, so as to cover the slit or opening in the tube D when raised and uncover the same when lowered. Fis a lever connected with the tube E, and provided with the knob or key G, which is secured by a screw, so that the length projecting below the lever can be adjusted. H is a stop, against which the end of the screw on the key G rests when the tube E is raised, so

as to exclude the light. A light spring may be used to keep the tube in its lower position,

. operated by telegraph, and the flashes may be read at a distant camp or fort with which no other communication is possible; and as the lamp can be easily carried with an army, communication may be established from two or more heights without telegraph wires, and without danger of interruption by the enemy.

The arrangement for covering and uncovering the light may be varied, and instead of the vertically-sliding tube E a pair of hinged sections may be used to open and close the slit or opening, and instead of the reflector 0 other reflectors, such as are used on lighthouses, may be used; and this arrangement for oper ating the flashes of light, so as to convey tele graphic messages, may be connected with light-houses, and warnings or other intelli gence may be conveyed to vessels approach ing or leaving a coast directly by means of the telegraph, or indirectly by some person con versant with the system adopted, and life and property may thus be saved, or important intelligence conveyed.

I am aware that signal-lamps have been constructed with an ordinary transparent globe, and provided with vertically-adj ustable opaque and colored shields for use in signaling, and hence I make no broad claimto such construction or combination of parts. I

To produce instantaneous flashes of light in rapid succession, to correspond with the dots, dashes, and spaces of the Morse system of telegraphy, necessitates a particular constr'uc= tion and relative arrangement of parts. In= stead of exposing the entire fiameof the lamp and a portion of the burner, as has been the case with lamps used for ordinary signaling, I provide a stationary slitted tube, which receives the flame, and around said tube place a vertically-adjustable opaque tube, the latter being constructed and arranged to be quickly raised and lowered to alternately open and close the small orifice in the slitted tube, and thus allow the bright portion of the flame to be exposed only for an instant to indicate a dot of the Morse system. The flame being exposed a greater length of time would indicate the dash of the Morse system, and the intervals between the dots and dashes are regulated to indicate the spaces.

The signal-lamps referred to have been provided with a movable tube, reflector, a lever and key connecting with the tube for raising and lowering the latter, and thus concealing and exposing the flame at intervals to produce any desired system of signaling, and

hence I do not make any broad claim to such a combination of parts in a signal-light.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the lamp B and reflector O, of the fixed slitted tube 1), the vertically-movable tube E, and lever F, connected at one end with the tube E, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the lamp B and reflector G, of the fixed slitted tube D, vertically-movable tube E, lever F, and key Gr, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my name.

CHARLES D. OATMAN.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH A. MILLER, J. A. MILLER, Jr. 

